Unless you want transit info.. or reliably accurate addresses... the entire system is buggy as hell. Yes, it will probably work just fine 90% of the time for 90% of the people... but isn't the whole Apple "thing" supposed to be that it's ok for them to be behind everyone else on tech because their stuff "just works" ?

Eh. It's only a couple of days live. I'm sure they will fix it in short order. Google's maps weren't so great either a lot of the time.

The guy who used to be Rand McNally's chief cartographer weighed in on it. He agreed, it could take years to fix.

Interesting article. This was the big thing I wondered about:

Quote:

A lot of that data that Apple needs, Dobson says, must be supplied by humans. And part of that should be via crowd-sourcing techniques, he says. However, Apple doesn’t have a good source for this yet, says Dobson, who now runs a consulting service called Telemapics, also the name of his blog.

Google has processes in place for random Joe's to get into the maps system and make changes. (They have to be approved, of course.) Because of this system, they're able to keep their maps pretty well up to date, even in international areas where there previously wasn't much good data.

Not only does Apple not have such a system, it goes completely against the Fort Knox of control that Apple always relies on. I'll be curious to see if they eventually are forced to open this one area up a bit to consumers or if they'll try and find some way to do it themselves.

I was going to post something about that earlier. Google has benefited from a huge user base from the web, Android, Apple, etc. Apple will only have the iOS installed base. I'm sure they'll bring it outside mobile soon, but will it be web based or a Mac App?

Not only does Apple not have such a system, it goes completely against the Fort Knox of control that Apple always relies on. I'll be curious to see if they eventually are forced to open this one area up a bit to consumers or if they'll try and find some way to do it themselves.

Google has processes in place for random Joe's to get into the maps system and make changes. (They have to be approved, of course.) Because of this system, they're able to keep their maps pretty well up to date, even in international areas where there previously wasn't much good data.

Not only does Apple not have such a system, it goes completely against the Fort Knox of control that Apple always relies on. I'll be curious to see if they eventually are forced to open this one area up a bit to consumers or if they'll try and find some way to do it themselves.

It has been no secret: Apple's new maps app included with the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 launched last week with a lot of glitches, including misplaced points of interest and jumbled renderings of important locations.

Today Apple has addressed the issue head on with an apology letter from CEO Tim Cook. The letter, which appears on the Apple website, admits the direct problems with the service.

"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers," Cook wrote. "With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better."

Cook also reiterated what Apple said last week -- that the Maps will get better over time as more people use the service.

He also alerted users to the fact that there are other options in the App Store, including Bing, MapQuest, and Google's Maps available through the browser.

Apple had used Google's Maps since the launch of the iPhone, but with iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, both released last week, it moved to its own solution which it has been building for quite some time. According to reports, Google and Apple still had another year to their agreement, but Apple wanted to create its own solution. Google has not released a standalone app for the iPhone or iPad, though The New York Times reports that it will be out before the end of the year.

Still, it remains clear that Apple is planning to invest big into mapping and fixing the problems.

"Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world," Cook concluded. "We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard."

Mildura Police are urging motorists to be careful when relying on the mapping system on the Apple i-phones operating on the iOS 6 system after a number of motorists were directed off the beaten track in recent weeks.

Local Police have been called to assist distressed motorists who have become stranded within the Murray-Sunset National Park after following directions on their Apple i-phone.

Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km away from the actual location of Mildura.

Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life threatening issue.

Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.

Police have contacted Apple in relation to the issue and hope the matter is rectified promptly to ensure the safety of motorists travelling to Mildura.

Anyone travelling to Mildura or other locations within Victoria should rely on other forms of mapping until this matter is rectified.